(Wampsville, NY – July 29, 2015) Despite State notices, you can process renewals, obtain driver abstracts, order a duplicate license or registration, along with the hundreds of other transactions that you have always been able to do in the Madison County Office in person or by mail.
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is now sending registration renewal notices to some customers stating “YOU MAY ONLY RENEW BY MAIL OR ONLINE…” Customers receiving these notices believe they will be unable to renew their registrations in person. According to Denise Roe, Madison County Clerk, “that is false and misleading.”
“DMV offices like Wampsville are agency offices, governed by the State but paid for by the county. We are able to provide this service through a percentage retained on fees collected for each transaction handled in the DMV office. The county receives virtually no money for transactions completed on line or mailed to the state office,” explained Roe. “By leading people to believe they cannot use their local DMV office for renewals, the state is able to keep all of the money. However, when transactions are done locally (mailed to Wampsville DMV or in person) it helps keep taxes down and the local motor vehicle office open.”
Although renewing online may seem convenient, there are actually drawbacks.
“We receive calls on a daily basis from customers who renewed online but did not receive their products in the mail and the expiration date is passed,” Roe said. This requires a trip to the local office anyway, and the issuance of a duplicate document, but the county receives no revenue for transactions such as this.
By cutting the income stream to operate the local office, the county will either have to use tax dollars to subsidize the operation or cut services. There are many transactions that must be handled in person. Roe stated, “The best thing we can do is educate people to use their local DMV office, keep their money here and the doors open.”
Mail: Madison County DMV, PO Box 667, Wampsville, NY 13163. Usually transactions are processed and return mailed on the same day.
In person: 138 North Court Street, County Office Building #4, Wampsville. Hours are 8:30-4:30 Monday through Friday.
“The county DMV understands how valuable your time is and strives to make your visit as efficient as possible. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are the quietest days,” Roe said.